Surf's not so up with Tropical Storm Brett

Tropical Storm Brett might churn up a few good waves at local beaches this week, but surfing is not expected to be spectacular.

"It doesn't look that impressive so far," said Steve Rowley, a meteorologist at the Charleston office of the National Weather Service. "It should generate some increased swell action that should get to the coast somewhere around midweek."

It won't be anything like the shoulder-high waves that pounded local beaches last year as Hurricane Earl whirled up the coastline, Rowley said.

Brett is likely to remain far to the east of the S.C. coast, making its effect on area beaches negligible.

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As of Monday night, Brett showed some signs of strengthening. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving north-northeast at 7 mph. It was expected to turn toward a more northeasterly course in the next 48 hours, sending it even farther away from our beaches.

The storm is expected to live and die in the Atlantic, not threatening land anywhere.

Drew Getsinger, of McKevlin's Surf Shop on Folly Beach, said most of the swell prediction models are not picking up any effect from the storm.

He said the waves might be a little bit bigger than normal today. With high tide at 11:24 a.m., there should be a number of surfers on Folly in the hours leading up to high tide, he said.

The Weather Service forecast says there is a low risk for rip currents today.